Accordingly, at eleven o'clock on the following day, John and Sarah
presented themselves at the office at Chelsea. As they entered the yard
they were greatly amused at seeing all the carts ranged along, in the
glory of new paint, with "John Holl, Dust Contractor," in large letters
on their sides. A boy was in the office, who told them that they were to
go to the house. The yard was situated near the river, and the house
which adjoined it was a large old-fashioned building, standing in a
pretty, walled garden. They went to the back-door, and knocked. It was
opened by a bright-looking servant-girl.
"Is Mr. Holl in?" Sarah asked.
"You are to be shown in," the girl said, and ushered them into a large,
old-fashioned parlour, comfortably furnished.
John and Sarah gave a cry of surprise, for, sitting by the fire, in his
wheeled box, just as in the olden time, was Harry.
Scarce a day had passed since he had left them without his coming in for
half-an-hour's chat with them, but his appearance here struck them with
astonishment.
"What are you doing here, Harry?" Mrs. Holl asked. "Do you know our new
master?"
"Yes, mother, I know him. Captain Bayley has had some business with
him, and asked me to come down here to see him. You are to sit down
until he comes."
"But that will never do, Harry. Why, what would he think of us if he
comes in and finds us sitting down in his parlour just as if the place
belonged to us?"
"It's all right, mother, I will make it right with him; he's a good
fellow, is the new master--a first-rate fellow."
"Is he, now?" John asked, interested, as he and Sarah, seeing nothing
else to do, sat down. "And his name is John Holl, just the same as
mine?"
"Just the same, John, and he's not unlike you either. Now, when I tell
you what a kind action he did once, you will see the sort of fellow he
is. Once, a good many years ago, when he wasn't as well off as he is
now, when he was just a hard-working man, earning his weekly pay, a poor
woman with a child fell down dying at his door. Well, you know, other
people would have sent for a policeman and had them taken off to the
workhouse, but he and his wife took them into their house and tended the
lady till she died."
"That was a right-down good thing," John said, quite unmindful of the
fact that he too had done such an action.